General waste production by Palmerston households has decreased by 12 per cent since 2014.

In response to this, Council is reviewing two options for the collection of general residential waste to see if savings can be made. Of the two options being considered, the one chosen will form part of a new waste collection contract, which will be awarded for a period of 8 years.

For residential dwellings, Council sought the community’s preference between Option 1 and Option 2:

OPTION 1:

120 litre general waste bin collected twice per week (current service):

Advantages

• Minimal changes to your current collection schedule
• There are two opportunities per week for your bin to be emptied, in case you forget to put your bin out for collection
• Reduced issues with odour, flies and other nuisances

Disadvantages

• Trucks continue to travel on the roads twice a week, leading to an increase in wear and tear on local road infrastructure
• Council will miss an opportunity to be more environmentally responsible - reducing the number of waste collection trucks on the road reduces carbon and other emissions

OPTION 2:

240 litre general waste bin collected once per week (alternate service):

Advantages

• Reduced wear and tear on local road infrastructure, having fewer trucks per week collecting waste
• Reduced carbon and other emissions produced by waste collection
• There is a saving of $15 per annum per household to the waste levy that can be achieved

Disadvantages

• Changes to your collection schedule
• If you miss your bin collection time, it will not be collected until the following week
• Potential for increased odour, flies and other nuisance
• A heavier 240 litre bin may be more difficult to manoeuvre for some members of the community

No other changes to Council’s waste collection service are being considered at this time. This includes no change to the waste collection service provided to unit complexes. 

If residents indicate a preference to change the service to a 240 litre bin collected once per week, a $15 reduction to the waste levy per household can be achieved.

Over the life of the contract, this equates to a reduction in cost of approximately $1.6 million for the municipality.

Consultation

Council sought public feedback for a three week period, from Friday 8 February 2019 to Thursday 28 February 2019. 

At its ordinary meeting on Tuesday 5 March 2019, Council decided to maintain the existing service level for domestic kerbside waste and recycling services which includes the collection for single dwelling properties of a 120L general waste MGB twice weekly and a 240L recycling MGB once fortnightly.